Podcasting on YouTube is a popular way to reach out to an audience. Some people are genuinely more visual and prefer video to go along with audio recordings.
According to research conducted by The University of Florida last year, YouTube is the most common platform for listening to podcasts (about 70% according to the study!)
Because YouTube is a video site and not designed for audio material, podcasters have strong views about video podcasts.
Some argue that putting audio content on a video platform violates the distinctions between the two mediums. Podcasts are downloaded audio files delivered to directories via an RSS feed. However, when posted to YouTube, they no longer match this definition.
I take the position that you should create content that can work well on multiple platforms. That’s why we record video interviews tools like Streamyard and Restream that we can make both into videos and podcast recordings.
Before I get started, let’s define what a YouTube video podcast is and isn’t.
Video podcasts display footage of your program while it’s being recorded. It’s just a video version of your podcast:
A video podcast isn’t just a still image, or a moving waveform with some audio slapped on top.
Without video, YouTube podcasts have a hard time gaining traction, and listener engagement is often lacking. I added our podcast to YouTube with fixed images (here’s a sample) and it did terribly. The real strategy is to create an engaging video along with the podcast.
A video podcast, for the purposes of this blog, is footage of a podcast being recorded.
How did YouTube turn into the most popular way to listen to podcasts now that we’ve established the distinction? Is it worth your effort to create content, particularly for the video platform? If you need help launching your YouTube channel, we created this post.
Why YouTube is a Viable Podcasting Platform
YouTube is used by more than 120 million people per day, making it the most popular platform for streaming video, music, and podcasts.
YouTube’s success stems in part from the fact that it is simple and free to use (as long as you are willing to listen to a few advertisements). The platform boasts a global audience of over one billion users, outnumbering Spotify and Apple Podcasts (formerly iTunes).
Putting podcasts on YouTube started as a way for podcasters to reach a new audience that they wouldn’t be able to reach through other means, such as podcast directories. Podcasters realized that those who like to watch video material might not seek out podcasts, so they opted to bring the content to them.
However, is it true that uploading your podcast on YouTube will help you extend your following and reach? Should you spend your time and money making YouTube content or investing it elsewhere?
Let’s talk about the advantages and disadvantages of placing your show on a site that isn’t designed for podcasts and how to make the most of YouTube.
Related Reading: How to Create a Podcast Studio – See Here
The Advantages and Disadvantages of Podcasting on YouTube
People choose Apple Podcasts for news and Spotify for humor, according to a recent survey.
On the other hand, YouTube users are more interested in entertainment, music, pop culture, and how-to videos. Many podcasts outside of these categories have found success on YouTube, so don’t exclude yours just because of its genre. The idea is that consumers visit YouTube in search of entertaining video material.
Regardless of the show genre, putting your podcast on YouTube offers numerous potential benefits.
YouTube Podcasting Pros
1. It allows you to reach a new audience who would not otherwise listen to your podcast.
YouTube attracts a different type of audience than podcast directories, and it has an audience that no other podcast directory or network can match. More potential listeners and possibilities to expand your program comes from tapping into a broader audience base.
2. You may communicate with your audience in the comments section.
Getting your fans to post ratings and share comments about your program on podcast directories might be difficult. YouTube makes it much easier to interact with your listeners and gives near-real-time feedback on your podcast.
Interacting with your listeners helps you to develop a relationship with them, and replying to comments is an excellent method to do just that while also learning what kind of material they want.
3. Meta-data from YouTube might help you rank higher in Google searches.
Let’s not forget that Google owns our friend YouTube.
To help your YouTube channel rank better in search engines, utilize the appropriate tags, titles, and descriptions, as well as transcripts.
Keep in mind that YouTube is a search engine in and of itself and the second most visited website behind Google. Paying attention to the metadata in your video might help your podcast become more discoverable and attract new listeners.
4. YouTube Analytics provides information that isn’t available anywhere else.
Podcasters are enthralled with their show’s statistics. Show hosts may use the valid data to expand their podcasts and customize them to their listeners’ requirements.
When a listener downloads or streams your program, podcast data is restricted in terms of the statistics it can (accurately) give.
Although your podcast host can provide you with valuable statistics on downloads, YouTube has access to more information on your audience, including who they are, how they found your program, and how long they listen to each episode.
YouTube Podcasting Cons
There are objective benefits to distributing your podcast over several platforms, but do they outweigh the drawbacks? Before you add another stage to your podcasting process, be sure it’s worth your time, money, and effort.
1. A poor return on investment is possible.
While uploading your podcast to YouTube can help your program rank higher in search engines, it might take time to see results.
When determining the popularity of a video, YouTube considers a number of factors:
- Retention
- Comments and likes
- Subscriptions
- Rate of click-throughs
Don’t expect to get much of a profit from posting your video podcast on this platform if it doesn’t retain your audience’s interest and generate comments and subscribers.
2. Listener engagement is lower.
YouTube is a popular source of entertainment. While podcast listeners are more engaged and are more likely to listen to the entire episode, people who view your program on YouTube are more likely to quit listening early.
Because YouTube is a more passive media platform, individuals who use it are more likely to abandon your video podcast if you don’t catch them from the start or if the content is too long.
Your YouTube stats may reflect this drop-off phenomenon, with a large proportion of listeners abandoning your episode after the first few minutes.
3. YouTube analytics are a work in progress.
When you upload a podcast to YouTube, it’s tempting to concentrate solely on increasing the number of views every episode. While YouTube metrics might be beneficial to podcasters, they can sometimes be misleading.
A view might be recorded when a person watches your video for 30 seconds. While 30,000 views on a video podcast may appear incredible, what counts most is how long the viewer watched the video. It’s preferable to have a smaller number of engaged viewers than thousands of people who leave after the first two minutes.
Depending on YouTube’s metrics can cause podcasters to lose sight of what makes podcasting so great: the flexibility to create material you care about and reach a tiny but engaged audience.
4. More money and equipment are required to succeed.
One of the benefits of podcasting is that it is inexpensive to begin. However, capturing high-quality video footage for your podcast needs time and equipment if you want to do it well. It might cost three to four times as much to establish a YouTube channel as it does to start a podcast.
Making videos that fulfill the minimal requirements of a YouTube user is necessary for recording a high-quality video podcast. People on YouTube anticipate a particular level of video quality, and low-quality content will most certainly show up in your statistics as a negative.
How To Use YouTube as a Tool For Podcasting
It’s ideal to consider YouTube as a means to enhance your podcast with more content or show highlights.
Break up your program into short pieces that are more accessible to your audience, making it more straightforward for them to listen to the entire thing. When your visitors watch your podcast video from beginning to end, it improves your show’s YouTube rating and discoverability
Video Equipment I Recommend
Most of the disadvantages of uploading a podcast to YouTube may be overcome by respecting the medium and providing what the audience wants: engaging video.
Make your channel more attractive by sharing excellent footage of you while you record your show instead of utilizing a file converter or plugin meant to convert audio into video format.
To record your podcast, you don’t need a high-end camera. Still, your equipment should be decent enough so people can easily watch your material without being distracted by its quality. In this post, we go over the equipment that you’ll need.
How To Grow Your YouTube Podcasting Audience
YouTube, as I have stated, has a tremendous viewership. Because it is popular and familiar, many individuals opt to consume all of their information on YouTube. They don’t see the point in trying new platforms when there’s always stuff to watch on YouTube. When you upload a video to YouTube, you have access to everyone who likes to view videos.
1. Promote episodes by making shorter clips.
You may advertise your podcast by uploading bits of each episode to YouTube if you don’t want to broadcast the entire episode. There are three benefits to using this method:
- It encourages listeners to download the entire program to their chosen podcast listening app, potentially increasing sponsor income.
- A shorter video is more likely to be shared than a 45-minute program.
- They’re fantastic assets to post on social media.
2. Make sure you communicate your views in the comments section.
Podcasting is a one-way dialogue. There’s no way for them to talk to you about your program unless you build your own podcast community. However, on YouTube, you may have one-on-one conversations with your viewers (or watchers, in this case).
This is something that podcasting systems cannot provide. Viewers may provide feedback while watching your material, making them feel more connected to the host.
3. Use the benefits of YouTube Analytics.
As previously stated, you can see who sees your podcast video on YouTube, how long they spend watching it, and how they found it. When consumers download your episode or listen to it on your website, you can’t receive some of these data elements. With more listener data, you’ll have a better chance of determining which episodes your audience likes and dislikes.
4. Take advantage of YouTube advertising opportunities.
When you don’t have a lot of downloads, it’s challenging to get podcast advertisers, but YouTube doesn’t care. You won’t make a lot of money, but your material will bring in some revenue. A robust collection of the material may provide significant money over time. And YouTube will handle all of the monetizations for you.
In addition to the host-read advertising, you may provide sponsors a video evaluation of their product. This will raise the cost of your advertisements.
5. Make exclusive content for paying subscribers.
You should also think about starting a Patreon page. Your Patreon backers are deserving of something unique in return for their support. Create exclusive material for them, such as insider information, in-depth product evaluations, or behind-the-scenes looks at your program.
You may also make exclusive material depending on their specific queries and issues.
When it comes to podcasting on YouTube, there are two options:
- Make a video “unlisted” after you publish it. Regular YouTube viewers won’t see it while searching or browsing for content, but you may still provide your customers the URL.
- Set a video’s privacy to “private” after it’s published. Select “share privately” from the menu icon next to the save button (the three vertical dots), then paste your email list into the space given. Each email address will receive a notice from YouTube with a link to view the video. This approach is entirely unique. However, you must put your email list into each video you upload.
Related Reading: How much do sponsors pay YouTubers – See Here
Final Thoughts
While YouTube is now the most popular method to listen to podcasts, YouTube podcasts should fulfill the requirements of a video platform! Long-form material should be broken up into small pieces and parts, and video podcasts should offer high-quality information with compelling graphics.
Confirm you have the time and resources to do it well before opting to post your podcast on YouTube and invest in the equipment you’ll need to make high-quality videos. Make your YouTube channel a location where you can interact with your followers and provide important video material to your show.
